Chocolate Chip Biscotti with Cherries and Almonds
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Chocolate chip biscotti with cherries and almonds are perfect with a hot cup of coffee, espresso, or Italian hot chocolate! These twice-baked Italian cookies are loaded with chunks of chocolate, cherries, and crunchy almonds. (This post was originally published on November 23rd, 2015)
What are biscotti?
Biscotti can refer to any Italian cookies or “biscuits”. Derived from medieval Latin, it means “twice baked” or second bake. This is most likely where the British adopted the word biscuit for cookie. Shortbread is a “biscuit” and not a cookie in Britain. But in Florence, what we Americans think of as “biscotti”, are actually called “cantucci”. Biscotti is the plural of biscotto.
This chocolate chip biscotti recipe is not as traditional as this Almond Cantucci recipe. With all the goodies in them, they can definitely be more of a ”stand-alone” cookie. (Although biscotti, just like shortbread, are more of a “biscuit” than a cookie.)
Ingredients for chocolate chip biscotti
For best results, use room temperature ingredients.
- unsalted butter
- white sugar
- eggs
- almond extract
- baking powder
- all-purpose flour
- kosher salt
- almonds
- dark chocolate chips
- dried cherries
How to make biscotti
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
- In an electric mixer or using an electric hand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and almond extract on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat until well blended. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients.
- Mix in chocolate chips, cherries, and nuts by hand if the dough is too stiff.
- Divide dough in half. Form into two long logs about 2″ wide and 3/4 to 1″ high.
- Chill biscotti dough for 20 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Cool dough just until you are able to handle it.
- Then slice on the diagonal into 1-inch slices using a sharp serrated knife.
- Put sliced bars on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Flip biscotti over and bake another 7 minutes. Biscotti should be barely golden brown.
- Allow biscotti to cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
- Makes 2 dozen larger biscotti or 48 small biscotti.
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Looking for more cookie recipes?
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cherries, and Almonds
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (8.5 ounces)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (12.2 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup almonds chopped and toasted
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chunks)
- 6 ounces dried cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
- In a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and beat until well blended.
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just blended. Don't over-mix.
- Mix in chocolate chips, cherries and nuts by hand if dough is too stiff.
- Form into two long logs about 2" wide and 3/4 to 1" high.
- Chill for 20 minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Remove from oven and and allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then slice on the diagonal into 1" wide slices using a serrated knife.
- Put sliced bars on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet, cut side up, and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Flip biscotti over and bake another 7 minutes. Biscotti should be barely golden brown.
- Allow biscotti to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
- Makes 2 dozen larger biscotti or 48 small biscotti.
These are the best kind of recipes, passed down from generation to generation. Love the look of this, even although have no idea what butterbrickle or butterscotch chips are in Europe – they sound intriguing. Any ideas what I could use instead, Cynthia, to keep your recipe tasting the same? Sounds fabulous!
Jill, I think English toffee chips would be a good substitute!
I love making biscotti at the holidays so am excited to learn about mandelbread. Sounds like the perfect holiday treat, and I like that you can customize it according to your likes or what you have on hand.
That’s pretty what my mom did…take her friend’s recipe and then just add to it.
This mandelbread looks delicious. I’ll be trying it soon!
thank you!
what is the GF flour mix consist of? There is an asterisk next to the ingredient but it isn’t explained anywhere
Hi Mindy, I recently changed my recipe plug-in and it must not have picked up the link. I link it to Jeanne’s Gluten Free Flour Blend on her website. (Here’s the link) I’ve also linked to a GF blend on Amazon at the bottom of the post.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
I tried it today…was very excited to receive my new flour since I am tired or almond flour: used Pamela GF Artisan Flour. I have made these many times with regular almond flour, and it was easier to handle. These were very difficult to form into loaves, due to crumbling, so added coconut oil but still very crumbly. Any suggestions? p.s. I wrapped them in saran wrap and put them to chill for a while, but still soooo crumbly!
Hi Robin, I’m not sure as you can see, my dough is pretty moist. The only thing I can think of is that the gf flour could be different? I’ve tried a lot of gf flours, and sometimes the proportions of ingredients can be different and perhaps it was more absorbent? (sort of like how coconut flour is).I am going to make it again this weekend and see if I can trouble-shoot it.
Hey Cynthia, love this recipe, thanks for posting it. Didn’t you at one time say to mix it all in a food processor? That’s how I remember it and it worked great
I did! That works well too. I just updated it to give options.